The Carlton Chronicles team, front, left to right, Belle Paterson, Gavin Mitford, Becki Tam and Denise Mitford. Back, left to right, Kaitlyn Symons, Brian McGann, Alex Plenge Chan and Daniel Schneider. Picture by Jim Gainsford.

Carlton is about to take its place in the spotlight.

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In the areas of education, the arts and law, the suburb has made an impact that has gone far beyond its municipal boundaries.

Now Carlton's many characters and stories - and some that have never been told before - are to be celebrated in a new musical work, Carlton Chronicles.

This will be part of the Stories on Parade festival, to be presented by Bayside Council at Carlton on Sunday May 17.

The festival includes tours, talks and performances by local artists, storytellers, historians and writers.

Carlton Chronicles is being presented at the historic Carlton School of Arts.

Composer is Australian theatre musical director Peter Casey and writer and director is Gavin Mitford who has had a long career in London's West End.

Gavin has assembled a team of local writers, musicians and performers to present Carlton Chronicles.

"The idea was to collect artists connected with Carlton and try and re-tell some of the stories that made the suburb what it is today," Gavin said.

Carlton Chronicles goes back to the initial land grants and up to modern times.

It touches on where some of the streets got their name, such Willison Road which was named after World War I digger Corporal Robert Willison who was killed in action at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915. He is one of 164 WWI diggers on the Carlton Honour Roll who became known as the Pride of Carlton.

Other stories include the chain mail scandal which tells of the feud between John Griffin and the Mayor of Bexley, HW Harradence.

Carlton Chronicles tells the history of Carlton's shops, of fires, robberies and secret meetings in the local hotel, and of the first post office and how the arrival of the railway changed the suburb.

Former resident, My Brilliant Career author Miles Franklin is mentioned, along with the first Australia-born Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Sir Norman Gilroy who started life as a delivery boy in Carlton.

The Carlton School of Arts, which in its time has been a ballroom, cinema, billiards room and dance school, also features in the Chronicles in its role as the artistic heartbeat of the suburb.

"There's a lot of wonderful people who have gone through this building," Gavin said. "It's been a hub serving the larger community that's left its effect on the suburb, It's wonderful to celebrate it."

Fellow Carlton Chronicles writer Becki Tam said, "It has been a wonderful experience finding the stories of the suburb that are known and also those that have remained untold. We are bringing them to light in a creation with a musical score and written script."

Performer Belle Paterson said the work celebrates a unique aspect of Carlton. "There's very few art deco high streets left. People are yearning for the little local shop and sense of community, a place where we can actually meet people," she said.

Performer Brian McGann said the Carlton Chronicles could become a template for other aras to take and do something to celebrate their suburb.

Gavin said, "It's great to give meaning to things and places we have walked past every day. For a little suburb Carlton has punched way above its weight. There are locals that have represented Carlton well at the elite level."

Carlton Chronicles will be presented at the Carlton School of Arts, 2 Short Street, Carlton at 2.30pm on Sunday, May 17,

Reserved bookings are at info@csoalive